Interview: British Airways CEO on Low-Cost Mindsets and Legacy Airlines
Photo Credit: Alex Cruz, who comes from a low cost airline background, is pushing British Airways to evolve. British Airways
Skift Take
Some old-school companies talk about embracing start-up thinking without knowing what that really means. This, though, is what they wish it looked like in practice.
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At first glance, Alex Cruz may seem like an unusual choice to lead British Airways, an iconic flag carrier with a lineage dating to the 1930s
Cruz is an upstart, having helped found Spanish low cost airline Clickair in 2006, an airline part-owed by Iberia. Clickair merged with Vueling three years later, creating one of Europe's more successful discount carriers. Unlike at British Airways, most Vueling customers pay extra for just about everything, from onboard drinks to seat assignments. But base fares can be cheap — often as low as 20 euros, one-way, from Barcelona to London.
After the merger, Cruz became CEO of Barcelona-based Vueling. In 2013, International Airlines Group — owner of British Airways and Iberia — bought a majority stake, and Cruz stayed in charge.
Three years later, the parent company tapped Cruz for a bigger job, naming him CEO of British Airways. That surprised some observers, since Cruz spent much of his leading short-haul, low cost airlines. But B
